Male Veiled digging hole

[WelshOneEmma]

Haven't seen any poop for a couple of days, but won't eat anything at the moment either. Everything was fine until 2 weeks ago, started drinking loads, then shed. Shedding took about a week and was drinking loads during that time. Now gone back to the previous drinking levels but will only take the occasional waxworm.

 

[dodolah]

I think we need to try a new vets (although the one we used advertises as an exotics specialist). The vet is adamant its a girl. I just don't know what to do, we are trying everything but it wont stop digging tunnels and then sitting in them. The temps are within the ranges we have been told they need to be, we are making sure that the cage is misted regularly, i have been feeding the crickets fresh organic food for at least a couple of days before they go in to the enclosure. We have only ever had greens, pale yellow and maybe a little dark purple colours from it, no bright blues etc. I am really at a loss and feel totally powerless.

All the behaviors such as digging, turning the body after the tunnel made, stop eating, and drinking excessively are very very female- like.
I wonder, if you should leave him alone in that hole he dig.
He/she probably is trying to lay eggs. If this is the case, then it's not good to keep bothering him.

If nothing happened, perhaps, there is something in the cage that make him behave that way.
try to put him in a different cage.

do you have a reptile room? or is he in a "shared room" (such as bedroom, living room, etc) with you and your family?

I wonder if you can isolate him in 1 small room. Get a big ficus (or any tree). Put the tree in a trash can with moist playsand.
and try free roaming him on that tree for a day or two (maintain the temp- by room heater- and humidity -misting-). Provide the uvb and basking lamp shining on one part of the tree.

See, if he's still digging.

I am perplexed too..

 

[FOREVER ENDEAVOR]

Am i the only one who thinks you have a female veiled? i'mjudging based on the pics on the bottom of page 3..

 

[WelshOneEmma]

We haven't really bothered with him since he came back from the vets. He alternates between relaxing at the top of the tank and then wandering round digging holes in various places in the middle of the viv. We just open it to keep the plants misted and the substrate/sandbox damp.

The viv is in the corner of the living room, but its just me and my boyfriend and we are in the room for maybe 3-4 hours a day max. On days when you do see him (big bushy plant in there, lots of hiding room), he is usually sat on the basking vine and just watches the room. but like i said, this has only happened in the last 2 weeks, just before the shed occured. Has now gone back to one of the previous holes dug. Vet is on notice should anything else happen, and he has another appointment there on thursday, but starting to feel that i am going to lose him. I really hope thats not the case. will try putting the enclosure somewhere else, see if that helps.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

OK, we have seen a whole new set of markings this morning. Draig spent the night in his hole at the bottom of the tank, underneath the ficus, and was pale green when we left him. I turned the lights on this morning and came back 20 mins later to find him climbing to the top of the tank. He is a mix of dark brown and olive green (haven't seen these colours before) but on the bottom half of the body and legs had loads of black spots. Very strange! Just going to keep misting and see how he goes. Has filled last nights hole in aswell.

 

[Julirs]

Oh I hate to ask-but can you get a picture? Can you see if there is anything in the hole? This mystery is getting exciting!

 

[BocaJan]

Very gently start digging into the hole. If there are eggs down there you want to be careful not to damage them when you remove them and put them into an incubation container of damp (not wet) vermiculite. The cover needs one or two holes. Transfer the eggs out of the hole being careful not to turn them upside down, and place in the vermiculite so you can only see about 1/2 of the egg. Put the cover on and find a nice dark quiet spot to put them. Check them every week or so. Read the Kitty article to get complete instructions.

I'm excited too Julirs!

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Ok, IF there are eggs, as far as i am aware it hasn't been mated. But i take it i should assume that i cant trust anything the shop has done!?!

 

[Julirs]

How long have you had her? If she has been with a male anytime in the last 3 months or so she could have fertile eggs. I would maybe ask the petstore if she was housed with any other chameleons-no need to ask the sex-sounds like they don't know anyways!

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Right, i have tried checking the hole, but it has been dug so far into the tank my arms physically dont reach! Will see if my boyfriend can reach when he gets home. I have taken two pictures, but the arent brilliant as the chameleon is getting quite pissed off with me now! I think that the black spots are still noticable, but there arent as many as this morning.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

We have had him/her/it for 6 weeks (today in fact). Like i have said previously, we didn't have any issues for the first 4 weeks, it all started the weeks before the shedding happened. In fact we were sure it was a male as it tolerates me near the tank but does not like my boyfriend in the slightest. Always hides from him and wont take any food from him, yet will take waxworms from me (although not lately). Will phone the store and see what they say.

 

[Julirs]

Wow-those pics make me want to say male! What a confusing little creature "it" is!

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Right spoken to the store. Guy there says they keep them in single tanks at the shop, but would have been kept in mixed tanks at the wholesalers. He also said they only order in babies. I think i will have to resign myself to the fact i have a wierd chameleon! Just hope it starts eating soon.

 

[Julirs]

That is definitely not a baby-it is at least 5 months and my guess a little older-maybe 6-8 months.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I didnt think it was a baby. Maybe it was when they got it. I remember them saying it didnt like being handled and could be quite aggressive. Maybe he was overlooked by others because of this?

 

[dodolah]

yup! it is definitely not a baby.
it is probably already hit juvenile stage and about to reach adulthood.
Please keep us updated, if your bf found some eggs in the substrate.

This is very mysterious.
So far, I am leaning toward possibility that it is in fact a shemale.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

If it is a shemale, what does that entail with regards to looking after it? Also I am trying to give it the visorbin, but really struggling. He really went for me, so i am a little wary of pushing the issue! Any tips? On a better note, found a small fresh poop earlier, so hopefully that doesnt mean an impaction?

 

[Julirs]

I don't think it is truly and kind of shemale-either just female or a male that is into digging! Giving them meds can always be difficult-I just finished a round of injections with my nasty biting female Veiled-but once I get her out of her cage she calms down. It just takes some confidence to handle them. Why exactly did the Vet prescribe the meds-they didn't think that it had MBD?

 

[WelshOneEmma]

The vet said that there was a slight calcium deficiency, but overall was happy with the health. We have been dusting the crickets regularly, so i was wondering if its something that we have done wrong over the last 6 weeks, or if it was 'inherited' from when we got him. How long does it take for the deficiency to build up?

 

[Julirs]

Could have been either-did the Vet do blood work? I can just see a Vet saying "slight calcium deficiency" to up your bill! Just dust 6X weekly with a D3 free Calcium and then 2X monthly with a D3 calcium and you are doing just fine.